Since its founding in 1989, the International Superyacht Society has focused on furthering the large-yacht industry, particularly through communication, education, and supporting best business practices. Part of this includes celebrating what the International Superyacht Society considers the best of the best. Each year, the organization holds a Design Awards gala, where yachts, their builders, and designers are nominated in a variety of categories. Both power and sail projects, measuring 78 feet (24 meters) and larger, are included. Last evening, awards were handed out to a number of notable yachts, culled from an initial list of hundreds of potential nominees.
This year’s International Superyacht Society Design Awards winners are:
BEST POWER 24m to 40m: Quaranta, built by Curvelle, styling and design by Mauro Giamboi, interior design by Alex Isaac, naval architecture by Incat Crowther
BEST POWER 40m to 65m: Como, built by Feadship, design, styling, and naval architecture by Dubois Naval Architects, interior by Redman Whiteley Dixon
BEST POWER 65m+: Galactica Star (below), built by Heesen Yachts, design by Omega Architects, naval architecture by Van Oossanen Naval Architects, interior design by Bannenberg & Rowell
BEST SAIL 24m to 40: Inukshuk, built by Baltic Yachts, design and naval architecture by Frers Naval Architecture & Engineering, interior design by Adam Lay Studio
BEST SAIL 40m+: Mondango 3, built by Alloy Yachts, design and naval architecture by Dubois Naval Architects, interior design and styling by Reymond Langton Design
BEST REFIT: Dream, originally built by Abeking & Rasmussen and refitted by Jones Boatyard and Dynamic Yacht Management, design and styling by Donald Starkey, naval architecture by Abeking & Rasmussen and Donald Starkey, interior design by Bannenberg & Rowell
BEST INTERIOR: Como (top), with interior design by Redman Whiteley Dixon
Further awards are given to Distinguished Crew and leaders within the industry in terms of business, innovation, and environmental mindedness. Those winners are:
Distinguished Crew: Capt. Russell Pugh and the crew of Arctic P; the yacht set a Guinness World Record for the most southernly navigation. On January 27 of this year, Arctic P reached 78°43•0336´S 163°42•1317´W. This is the farthest south that any vessel of any kind has ever recorded. (The position was confirmed by Guinness officials via photos of nav instruments in the wheelhouse.) EYOS Expeditions worked with the crew of Artic P to make the trip to the Bay of Whales in the Ross Sea of Antarctica possible, a voyage that the owners had dreamed of taking aboard the expedition yacht. On a related note, the owners flew Capt. Pugh to the International Superyacht Society gala in Fort Lauderdale from his home in Australia to accept the award.
Leadership Award: Tom and Henk de Vries of Feadship. The de Vries family has run the Royal de Vries shipyard in The Netherlands from its inception more than 100 years ago. Tom and Henk de Vries have been at the helm of the yard since the late 1980s.
Business Person of the Year: John Percival. The late John Percival, who died earlier this year, was passionate about teaching proper navigation skills and welcoming new blood into the industry. He established Hoylake Sailing School and John Percival Marine Associates in the UK in 1996. Percival oversaw training in many marine sectors, ranging from workboats and naval ships to superyachts.
Fabien Cousteau Blue Award: International SeaKeepers Society. The International SeaKeepers Society was recognized particularly for its Drifters program and its Vessels of Discovery program. Both have enabled the organization, focused on preserving the oceans’ health, to provide even more data to the scientific community about various issues affecting the water and sealife.
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